The Details

A Peace Corps program can be evacuated for many reasons but believe it or not, many programs are back up and running with new volunteers within as little as three months! This will not be the case with Niger. We were officially evacuated due to “security concerns” caused by unpredictable acts of terrorism perpetrated by a party outside of Niger. The program will not be reinstated until the country can be proven “safe”. Since 2008 Niger has seen multiple kidnappings per year, increasing in frequency and intensity. At the time of the national evacuation of volunteers, PC/Niger had already removed volunteers from the northern and middle areas of three active regions, and had shut down an entire region of volunteers. Directly before and during my service, Peace Corps Niger experienced three “consolidations” of some or all of its volunteers, where affected volunteers are required to pack one emergency bag and proceed to their regional safe-house. As a result of the previous security concerns, my whole time in service saw increasing travel restrictions and “whereabouts” check-ins so that the Peace Corps could keep me safe, know my location at all times, and hopefully still enable me to do my work as a volunteer. The last month of my service was frustrating as my work commitments increased (to my greatest pleasure) and came into conflict with the tight restrictions. I tell you now that I was NEVER worried for my safety in any real terms, but I relate this information to you in order to explain Peace Corps’ decision to suspend our program.

This leads me to the reality of the final straw: the terrorist threat to foreigners (in particular to French nationals) reached a new and frightening level when the armed men entered the heart of the capital city, at a reasonable hour on a Friday night, in a crowded bar frequented by volunteers, just minutes from the place I call home when travelling through Niamey. It is a miracle that none of my friends were there that night. For clarification, all that I have read and heard confirms that the two Frenchmen were specifically targeted, so there is no reason to believe that, had American PCVs been at the bar, they would have been approached. Peace Corps Washington sat down to discuss the next step in Niger’s future, keeping all of these details in mind. The ultimate decision, and one I can only regrettably agree with, was that adding more restrictions to my life would do nothing to further guarantee my safety, and it would render me next to useless to my villagers. I appreciate their concern for my ability to do work, and for considering my quality of life as a peace corps volunteer. I am not happy about leaving Niger, but I can not argue with the logic.